Casing pick-up elevator



July 4, 1939. w w, s n- 2,164,843

CASING PICK-UP ELEVATOR Filed March 14, 1938 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.TA insus'ozv W: J'MIT'H ATTORNEY.

y 4, 1939- w. w. SMITH 2,164,843

CASING PICK-UP ELEVATOR Filed March 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.Wmsozv M JMJTH ATTORNEY.

Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to a casing pick-up elevator and has for itsprincipal object a pair of hingedly connected jaws that will engage apipe resting on a horizontal support and without 3 raising the pipe forfull engagement, the pipe being such as commonly used in oil fields andreferred to as a casing, and means to lock the jaws to grippingengagement, the gripping tension of the jaws not interrupted by theweight 10 of the load.

A further object of my invention is to provide a pair of gripping jawshingedly connected so that the free ends will swing to and from eachother and means carried by one of the jaws to lock them against outwardmovement when carrying a load.

A further object of my invention is to construct an inexpensivearrangement that is cilicient and simple to operate and being locked in20 such a way that the carrying means is not inclined to open or closethe jaws when carrying a casing or the like in a vertical position.

These and other objects will hereinafter be more fully explained,reference being had to the 25 accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification and in which like characters will apply to like partsin the difierent views.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view axial of the jaw members be-30 ing locked on a casing.

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the jaws, the casing not shown.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2 showing theposition of the locking 3.; means for the jaws in their closed position.

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view to that of Fig. 3 but illustratingthe jaws in an open position and the locking means as carried to permitrocking movement of the jaws.

4 Fig. 5 is a reduced side view of the elevator secured to a casingmedially of its ends and broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 6 shows the elevator carrying a casing vertically as gripped belowthe coupling.

45 Fig. '7 is an enlarged view of the jaw and locking means and amodified handle and pawl.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. '7.

My invention herein disclosed consists of a pair of jaws I and 2, saidjaws arcuate in form and hingedly connected by interlapping ears 3,there being two pairs oppositely positioned, each of which are adjacenttheir respective ends of the jaws, as shown in Fig. 2, and rockable on arod 4, each end of which pivotly connects its 55 respective pair ofinterlapping ears.

Positioned on the corresponding end of each jaw is an ear obliquelyextending outward. Each ear has an aperture 6 to receive a cable 1respectively, the cable being looped to receive a cable line securedthereto as hoisting means 5. for the jaws, the line not shown in thedrawings. On the outer side of jaw l and extending thereacross is a bar8, each end portion of which has a right angle bend A, the ends of whichseat on the back of the jaw as spacing means for the 10 straight barportion therefrom to receive an arcuate plate 9 slideable thereunder toengage on the outer side of each jaw when said jaws are in a closedposition as shown in Fig. 1, looking the same against outward rockingmovement 16 and the said plate being secured for sliding engagement onthe back of said jaws by said rod 4 coacting with the plate to avoidupward and outward movement of the free ends or tips of said jaws. Thesaid plate is adapted to seat on 20 jaw member I when moved toengagement with a lug l0 functioning as a stop in which position thejaws are free to open by rocking movement as above described.

Radially extending and being positioned near one side of the plate is ahandle II as manipulating means and stop for the plate and the saidhandle may be modified as a securing means for the plate when said plateis moved to engagement upon each jaw. The securing means consists of apawl 12 having a hook [3 on the free end thereof, the other endpivotally connected to said handle by a pin I 4 by which means the pawlis free to rock upward when the hook strikes the edge of bar 8 andforced downward to engage on the opposite side of said bar as tensionedby a spring IS, the ends of which are seated in their respective socketsI6 and I! and secured by pins l8 and I9 respectively. The said pawl ischecked in its downward movement by a lug 20 carried by said handle andthe said lug is means to raise the pawl from engagement when the handleis rocked in the direction of arrow B. The rocking movement will beacross opening C in the plate at the lower extremity of the handle andthe opposite movement of the handle will be restricted by its engagementas at D. It will be understood that the said handle is pivotallyconnected to the plate as at E between a pair of ears 2| integrallyjoined to the plate.

To operate the elevator, when raising a casing or the like, the jaws areopened as shown in Fig.

4, the spread of which is suffici'ent to permit a casing as shown bydotted lines F entering the jaws and being closed thereon as shown inFig. 3 and locked to position by the said arcuate plate 9 after whichthe elevator is raised through the medium of the cable arrangement abovedescribed that may be actuated by motive or manual power, said powermeans not illustrated in the drawings. 'I'o release the elevator jawsthe said plate is moved to its extremity upon jaw I as shown in Fig. 4freeing said jaws to open, releasing or receiving its load, and suchother modifications may be employed as lie within the scope of theappended claims.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a casing pick-up elevator, an elevator element of the classdescribed comprising two arcuate jaws, each jaw of a desired width andsegmental portion of an arc and hingedly connected, the cavity of eachconfronting each other :and the-free ends rockable from eachother toopen the jaws and toward each other to a closed position, an arcuateplate slideably carried by one "of said jaws and adapted to seat on theother jaw and means to equally position the plate on each jaw adjacentthe hinge to lock the jaws in a closed position.

2. In acasing pick-up elevator, a pair of arcuate'j'aws, each having apair of cars outwardly extending and adapted to interlap and beingapertured in axial alignment, a rod to engage in the apertures andextending from one pair of cars to the other and spaced from the body ofthe jaws, an arcuate plate coinciding with the arc of the'jaws and beingcarried by one of said jaws slideable thereon and between said rod andbody of "the jaws to avoid outward movement fr'om 's'aid jaws whenengaged approximately equal on each thereof by which means said jaws arelocked against outward rocking movement.

3.*In a casing pick up elevator, a pair of arcuate' jaws, each having apair'of ears outwardly 'extending'and adapted to interlap and beingapertured in axial alignment, a rod to engage in the aperturesandextending from one pair of ears to the other and spaced from the bodyof the jaws, an arcuate plate coinciding with the arc of the jaws andbeing carried by one of said jaws slideable thereon and between said rodand bo'dyof the jaws'to avoid outward movement from said jaws whenengaged approximately equal on each thereof by which means said jaws'arelocked against outward rocking movement,

an aperturedear outwardly extending and posit-ioned on corresponding'ends of each jaw medial thereof with respect to the arc, said earsadapted to receive a cable in their respective apertures as manipulatingmeans therefor.

4. In a casing pick-up elevator, an elevator element of the classdescribed comprising two arcuatejaws, each jaw of a desired width andsegmental portion in width of an arc and hingedly connected, the cavityof each confronting each other and the free ends rockable from eachother to open the jaws and toward each other to a closed position, a barextending across one of the jaws, spaced from the hinge and inparallelism with the axis of the arc, the ends of said bar turned towardthe back of the jaw to space the bar therefrom, said jaw having a lugradially extending from its back and positioned on the edge opposite thehinge, an arcuate plate slideably carried on the back of the jaw towhich said bar is secured and slideable thereunder and stopped by thelug, the plate having a handle radially extending and secured to itsedge adjacent the lug, the handle to impinge with the edge of the barfunctioning as a stop for said plate as it seats equally on the back ofeach jaw to lock said jaws against outward rocking movement.

7 5. "Ina casing pick-up elevator, an elevator element of theclassdescribed comprising two arcuate jaws, each jaw of a desired widthand segmental portion of an arc and hingedly connected, the cavity ofeach confronting each other and the free ends ro'ckable from each otherto open the jaws and toward each other to a closed position, a barextending across one of the jaws,

spaced from the hinge and'in parallelism with the axis of the arc, theends of said-bar turned toward'the back of the jaw to space the bartherefrom, said jaw having a lug radially extending from its back andpositioned on the edge opposite the hinge, an' arcuate plate slideablycarried on the backof the jaw to which said 1 bar is secured andslideable thereunder and stopped by the lug,"the plate having a handleradially extending and secured-to its edge adjacent the lug, the handleto impinge with the edge of the bar functioning as a stop for said plateas it'scats equally on the back of each jaw to lock said jaws againstoutward rocking movement, means to lock the plate against slidingmovement when the'jawsare locked thereby.

6. In a casing pick-up elevator, an elevator element'ofthe'classdescribedcomprising two arcuate'jaws, each jaw of a desiredwidth and segmental portion of an arc and hingedly connected, the cavityof each confronting each other and the free ends rockable from eachother to open the jaws and toward each other to a closed position, anarcuate plate slideably carried by one of said jaws, means to retain theplate to sliding engagement 'on one of the jaws, a handle rockablycarried 'by the plate and a spring tensioned pawl rockably carried bythe handle, the pawl and handle toengage with the said plate retainingmeans to lock the jaws in their closed position as retaining andreleasing means for an oil Well casing or the like.

WESSON W. SMITH.

